Bill Clinton On Haiti Trip Praises Michael Jackson

GONAIVES, Haiti (AP) - Bill Clinton paused during an aid mission to Haiti on Tuesday to honor Michael Jackson for helping the Democratic Party raise cash at a crucial time.

The former U.S. president, now a special U.N. envoy to Haiti, recalled Jackson's performance at a 2002 fundraiser at New York's Apollo theater.

"He basically helped save my party from terrible financial distress, so he was very kind to me personally," Clinton said during a stop on his tour of a still-struggling northern Haiti, where floods killed several hundred people last year.

Clinton, his face bright red under a scorching summertime Caribbean sun, spoke fondly of Jackson, recalling that the singer performed at his first inauguration in 1993. He also said Jackson had struggled with the burden of early fame.

"He was an immensely gifted man and I think he basically meant well," Clinton told The Associated Press. "I know about all the trouble he had in his life and I hope he will be remembered for his contribution as an artist. I hope his children turn out well. That would be the greatest tribute you could have."

(AP Photo/Chris Pizzello). Cars enter and leave Fox Studios, Tuesday, March 19, 2019, in Los Angeles. Disney has closed its $71 acquisition of Fox’s entertainment business on Wednesday, March 20, in a move set to shake up the media landscape. The closu...

(AP Photo/Chris Pizzello). Cars enter and leave Fox Studios, Tuesday, March 19, 2019, in Los Angeles. Disney has closed its $71 acquisition of Fox’s entertainment business on Wednesday, March 20, in a move set to shake up the media landscape. The closu...

Disney has closed its $71 billion (xxx closing amount) acquisition of Fox's entertainment business in a move set to shake up the media landscape.

Disney has closed its $71 billion (xxx closing amount) acquisition of Fox's entertainment business in a move set to shake up the media landscape.

(AP Photo). This combination photo shows music mogul Jay-Z at the 2018 Pre-Grammy Gala And Salute To Industry Icons in New York on Jan. 27, 2018, from left, singer Cyndi Lauper at the Library of Congress Gershwin Prize tribute concert in Washington on ...

(AP Photo). This combination photo shows music mogul Jay-Z at the 2018 Pre-Grammy Gala And Salute To Industry Icons in New York on Jan. 27, 2018, from left, singer Cyndi Lauper at the Library of Congress Gershwin Prize tribute concert in Washington on ...

Songs performed by Jay-Z, Cyndi Lauper and a Robert F. Kennedy speech are among 25 recordings being inducted to the National Recording Registry.

Songs performed by Jay-Z, Cyndi Lauper and a Robert F. Kennedy speech are among 25 recordings being inducted to the National Recording Registry.

(AP Photo/Meg Kinnard). Sen. Kamala Harris, D-Calif., speaks during an event in St. George, S.C., on Saturday, March 9, 2019. Harris is spending two days in South Carolina, home of the first southern presidential primary in 2020, spending time with vot...

(AP Photo/Meg Kinnard). Sen. Kamala Harris, D-Calif., speaks during an event in St. George, S.C., on Saturday, March 9, 2019. Harris is spending two days in South Carolina, home of the first southern presidential primary in 2020, spending time with vot...

Democrat presidential candidate Kamala Harris is in California for a fundraiser hosted by prominent Hollywood power players, including the prolific television hitmaker Shonda Rhimes.

Democrat presidential candidate Kamala Harris is in California for a fundraiser hosted by prominent Hollywood power players, including the prolific television hitmaker Shonda Rhimes.

(AP Photo/Markus Schreiber). A female polar bear baby walks with its mother Tonja through their enclosure at the Tierpark zoo in Berlin, Friday, March 15, 2019. The still unnamed bear, born Dec. 1, 2018 at the Tierpark, is presented to the public for t...

(AP Photo/Markus Schreiber). A female polar bear baby walks with its mother Tonja through their enclosure at the Tierpark zoo in Berlin, Friday, March 15, 2019. The still unnamed bear, born Dec. 1, 2018 at the Tierpark, is presented to the public for t...

The Berlin Tierpark zoo is showing off its new polar bear cub, a three-month-old with a cuteness and playfulness that could make her the German capital's next animal celebrity.

The Berlin Tierpark zoo is showing off its new polar bear cub, a three-month-old with a cuteness and playfulness that could make her the German capital's next animal celebrity.